Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Pope John Paul II greets Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of Irish pop group The Cranberries, in 2001 at the Vatican. The 46-year-old Catholic lead singer of the Irish band was found dead on Jan. 15 in her London hotel room. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters)Pope John Paul II greets Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of Irish pop group The Cranberries, in 2001 at the Vatican. The 46-year-old Catholic lead singer of the Irish band was found dead on Jan. 15 in her London hotel room. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters)

DUBLIN (CNS) -- The Cranberries' frontwoman, Dolores O'Riordan, has been described as a woman of soul and courage by the bishop of Limerick, where she honed her musical talent at a Catholic school in the 1980s.

O'Riordan, 46, died suddenly Jan. 15 in London, where she had been due to record material for a new release. Police were investigating her death, calling it "unexplained."

Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick said her death "is such a sad loss of a young and precious life."

"Of course, she was a superstar and an inspiration to so many people, not least from Limerick," he said. Recalling that she grew up in the neighboring Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, Bishop Leahy said, "Limerick city, all of Limerick, held her very dear in its heart.

"Her rise to stardom gave a huge amount of belief to young people locally at the time," the bishop said. "She never lost sight of who she was and where she was from."

Recalling her deep spirituality -- her mother having named her in honor of Our Lady of the Seven Dolors, or Sorrows -- Bishop Leahy said: "She also often spoke about her spirituality and how important that was too her and, of course, she met Pope John Paull II.

"Her rise to stardom gave a huge amount of belief to young people locally at the time. She never lost sight of who she was and where she was from."

"She spoke of taking a lot of influence for her music from her spirituality. Limerick and the world has lost a kind, soft-hearted, talented soul," he said.

The O'Riordan family's parish priest, Father James Walton, said the family was devastated and the community was shocked.

"Nobody knows what to say -- there's wall-to-wall media coverage, but everyone here's just trying to get their own thoughts around it," he added.

O'Riordan frequently spoke about her Catholic faith and the importance of prayer in her life. Her mother had hoped her daughter would consider religious life, but while she chose a music career instead, she was still able to make one of her mother's dreams come true.

In a 2017 interview, she recalled how she "was invited to sing at the Vatican several times; it was a real honor."

"I was chuffed to see inside the place. But one of the best things was taking my mum to meet the late Pope John Paul II. She was blown away. He was such a good man, very kind and I loved him," she said.

O'Riordan's funeral is expected to take place in Limerick. 

More: Music / Ireland
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Bern Price
7 years 4 months ago

God rest her ansoeace to her family

The latest from america

Spanish Legionnaires carry a large image of the crucified Christ in the rain April 18, 2019, outside a church in Málaga, Spain, during a Holy Week ceremony. (CNS photo/Jon Nazca, Reuters)
Spain’s confraternities often make headlines in the foreign press as their Holy Week processions have become a tourist attraction, demonstrating the complex reality of their fame.
Bridget RyderMay 16, 2025
Beyond a simple affirmation of the pope’s authority, the letter by Arturo Sosa, S.J., called attention to its particular place of importance in the life of the Jesuits.
A destroyed St. Matthew Church is seen June 27, 2022, in the village of Daw Ngay Ku, Myanmar, in eastern Kayah state. Myanmar’s military junta was accused of blowing up the Catholic church with landmines and torching it. A more recent church attack blamed on the junta was the burning down of St. Patrick Cathedral in strife-torn northern Kachin state on March 16, 2025, the eve of the revered saint's feast. (OSV News photo/courtesy Amnesty International)
“I’m glad that there are people still coming through,” Zomi leader Francis Kham says, but refugee resettlement “should be extended to everyone that’s really [facing] the same discrimination.”
Kevin ClarkeMay 16, 2025
Tuesday, May 20th at 5:30pm ET: Featuring Sam Sawyer, S.J., James Martin, S.J., Colleen Dulle and Sebastian Gomes.
America StaffMay 16, 2025